My wife and I recently attended an event in Anaheim. To complete our date night, I searched for a place to eat in Anaheim, and I quickly realized that most restaurants are national chain establishments like Ruth Chris, Morton’s, Lazy Dog Cafe, Dave and Busters, and Buffalo Wild Wings. I selected Benchmark, a restaurant in…
Orange County
New Year’s Eve Dinners To-Go in Orange County
Due to the pandemic, many restaurants have closed temporarily or permanently. Fortunately, some have figured out a way to sustain operations just to pay rent and insurance. I searched and found a number of delicious options available for New Year’s Eve Dinners To-Go in Orange County. This is an excellent time to support your local…
Okayama Kobo Bakery Turns To Popups
Okayama Kobo is a popular bakery in Japan and is named after the Okayama prefecture where they operate. The owner/baker Tsunetaka Kawakami learned and perfected the art of baking during his tour through many bakeries in Japan. Leveraging his success in Japan, he opened his first bakery in the US in 2018. Due to the…
Quan Mii – Crispy Vietnamese Crepes Done Well
If you had the opportunity to delve into Vietnamese cuisine beyond pho and banh mi, you’ve certainly discovered bánh xèo, a Vietnamese savory crepe. Bánh xèo is a crispy, stuffed rice crepe popular in Vietnam. Bánh means cake while xèo means sizzle. The name refers to the loud sound the rice batter makes when it…
Pickle Banh Mi, A Worthy OC Contender
Vietnamese banh mi is one of my favorite sandwiches. Prepared well, they are heavenly. The baguette has to be fresh, preferably baked in-house. Proteins can vary widely, but the constant is the pickled daikon and carrot mix. My favorite banh mi shop is Tan Hoang Huong and I’m curious if I’ll ever find one that…
Thrive Kitchen LA – Quality Home Delivered Meals
The pandemic has turned the restaurant industry upside down. Some have converted their operations to abide by state and local regulations have experienced some success. Other restaurants that primarily focus on service and ambiance have remained closed or have curtailed their operations to exist solely to pay rent and insurance. Catering companies like Thrive Kitchen…
Royal King Elephant, a Laotian Experience
Laotian is not a word that you come across often and unless you are familiar with world geography, you may not realize that the word is derived from the country of Laos. I recently learned of Royal King Elephant; a restaurant located in Orange County featuring food from Laos and Thailand. Royal King Elephant is…
Music Restart at Spaghettini Grill Cut Short
My wife and I both enjoy live music and we especially like going to small intimate venues. Restaurants and jazz clubs aren’t as large as theaters and don’t require binoculars to see the musicians. For Valentine’s Day my wife gave me tickets to a jazz performance with Eric Marienthal and David Benoit at Spaghettini Grill. …
Sandwich House, A Tasty Vietnamese Sandwich Shop
The banh mi sandwich is quite a remarkable Vietnamese creation. A baguette is typically the foundation and it is usually filled with proteins such as beef, chicken, pork or fish. Cilantro gives the sandwich a lot of aroma and flavor, the cucumbers add crunch and jalapenos provide heat. I recently visited Sandwich House, a popular…
Veterans Day Specials and Freebies
Restaurants across the Southland are thanking veterans for their service this Veterans Day with special deals, freebies, and discounts. All deals benefit veterans and active service members, and some are also applicable to military families and a limited number of friends. Veterans should bring a military ID to secure the deal. Questions should be directed…